2003 CHEVROLET SILVERADO 1500 HD Complaints

I HAVE A 2003 CHEVROLET P/U AND THE SPEEDOMETER WORKS VERY ERRATICALLY. IT USUALLY REGISTERS A MUCH FASTER SPEED THAN I AN TRAVELING. WHEN I AM STOPPED IT WILL SHOW A SPEED OF FORTY OR FIFTY MPH. THIS PROBLEM SEEMS TO COME AND GO. IT IS VERY UNSAFE TO NOT KNOW YOUR SPEED. I KNOW MANY OTHER GM AND CHEVROLET VEHICLES OF THIS YEAR EXPERIENCE THE SAME PROBLEM. *NM

MY SPEEDOMETER IS MALFUNCTIONING. THIS WAS FIRST POINTED OUT BY AN IDAHO STATE TROOPER WHEN I WAS PULLED OVER WITH MY FAMILY IN THE TRUCK PULLING A TRAILER. MY SPEEDOMETER READ 60 BUT I WAS CLOCKED AT 79 MPH. THIS LAST WEEKEND ON A TRIP TO DOWN I-5 IN CALIFORNIA, I WAS DOING WHAT THOUGHT WAS 70 MPH BUT I WAS PASSING A LOT OF CARS AND WHEN I REMEMBER THE ISSUE MY TACHOMETER READ 3500 RPM WHICH MEANS I WAS DOING 80 PLUS. THEN YESTERDAY (10/22/2006) MY SPEEDOMETER READ 10 MPH WHEN MY TACH INDICATED 2100 RPM (~62 MPH), WHICH WAS CONFIRM BY BY WIFE FOLLOWING IN ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE PROBLEM IS INCONSISTENT. THE SPEEDOMETER SEEMS TO WORK FOR A WHILE BUT THEN DEGRADES AND THE SPEED INDICATED DOES NOR REFLECT THE ACTUAL SPEED. BETWEEN THE INITIAL OCCURRENCE AND 10/20 I DID NOT MAKE ANY TRIPS LONGER THAN 20 MINUTES AND DID NOT NOTICE A PROBLEM EXCEPT FOR A SOMEWHAT JERKY SPEEDOMETER NEEDLE. THE SPEEDOMETER SEEMS TO "RESET" AFTER THE VEHICLE STOP FOR A WHILE. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIR IS $98-$105 "EVALUATION AND $550-$600 ACTUAL REPAIR WHICH INCLUDES PARTS AND LABOR. *NM

1. -POOR DESIGN OF STEERING SHAFT THAT ALLOWS LOWER SHAFT TO BECOME VERY LOOSE AND COULD RESULT IN LOOSE OR FAILED STEERING 2.- FAILED STEERING COLLISION 3. -LOWER SHAFT LUBRICATED IT FAILED. SHAFT HAS BEEN REPLACED EVER YEAR DURING THE LAST 3 YEARS AND NOW GENERAL MOTORS REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. *NM

SPEEDOMETER STOP FUNCTIONING AND DOESN'T ACCURATELY REFLECT THE VEHICLE'S SPEED. THE SPEEDOMETER IS STUCK AT 120+ MPH. I TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE GM DEALER AND THEY SAID THAT THE ENTIRE ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT PANEL MUST BE REPLACED AT A COST OF OVER $500. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET FORUMS IT APPEARS TO BE A WIDESPREAD PROBLEM. SEE THIS WEBSITE HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.NET/FORUM/AUTOS/CHEVROLET-SILVERADO-1500/TR5QAB2MN19BL1D2J. THIS POSES A SAFETY HAZARD BECAUSE THE DRIVER DOES NOT KNOW THE SPEED OF THE VEHICLE. *NM

2003 CHEVY K1500 HD HAS HAD CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH KNOCKING NOISE FROM STEERING COLUMN. ALREADY HAVE TAKEN IT IN ONCE AND A "REPAIR" AT THE DEALERSHIP WAS PERFORMED BUT I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THAT CONSISTED OF...THEY CLAIM THEY REPLACED THE PART BUT IT IS NOT 26,000 MILES LATER AND ITS DOING IT AGAIN WORSE THAN BEFORE. *JB